SIKESTON -- The Sikeston Bulls KIT League baseball team franchise is open for bidding. After two seasons of calling Sikeston home, the Bulls are up for sale.

"We have reluctantly put the franchise up for sale, mainly because it's too difficult to run a team via long-distance, as we have tried to do over the last two seasons," said owner Will Jones.

"We had a good season last year," said Fred Johnson, the team's general manager last season. "We started out really well, but then we got hit by injuries." Johnson added that a player that was on the squad last season recently signed with Texas Tech to play college baseball at the Division 1 level.

"We had several good players from the junior college level on the team last season," Johnson said. "Some of the other teams had Division 1 players on their rosters."

Johnson went on to say that the Owensboro Oilers had a pitcher that is now in the Minor League baseball system.

The KIT League, or Kitty League as it is known, is a developmental summer league for out-going high school and entry-level college baseball players.

The Bulls, 17-30 in 2007, played home games at VFW Stadium, where the Sikeston Bulldogs high school baseball team calls home.

Along with the franchise tag, come the team uniforms, equipment, a sound system, and a lap-top computer with sounds, music and a scoring program. Office equipment and other furniture are also listed as included items.

Jamie Puckett, local Sikeston graduate and first-year manager for the Bulls in 2007, has declined to take on the position in the 2008 season, but Johnson said it wouldn't be hard to find a replacement coach if the team remains in Sikeston.

To date, there are a few interested parties in the franchise. Jones said he is confident the Bulls will be operational in Sikeston, if not this summer than in 2009.